The device of the present invention is intended to lock lug nuts in a tightened position, and to provide a visual indication should a lug nut becomes loose.
Lug nut indicator devices, i.e. devices for indicating that a lug nut has started to loosen are not new. Examples of such devices are described in CA Patent No. 1,231,564, which issued to Rolf Olsson on Jan. 19, 1988; Canadian Patent Application No. 2,637,356, filed by Ifor C. Davies on Jul. 11, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,951, issued to Mark A. Gilliam on Jun. 5, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,933, issued to Orv Nicholson on Dec. 12, 2000; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,595,597 and 7,415,888 issued to Michael Marczynski et al on Jul. 22, 2003 and Aug. 26, 2008, respectively; and the James C. Adams US Patent Application No. 2009/0060677, published Mar. 5, 2009.
A problem with some of the basic indicator devices described in the above-listed references is that they merely provide an indication that a lug nut has started to loosen. While some of the devices provide resistance to nut loosening, they are relatively complicated, and may require substantial nut loosening before providing a clear visual signal that loosening has occurred.